The newest restaurant at the Fairmont Banff Springs is 1888 Chop House. The trendy chop house concept is juxtaposed with elements from the past such as railway artifacts and a name that evokes the hotel’s opening year. Before your meal, take a seat at the cocktail bar that overlooks the Castle in the Rockies’ lobby.

Banff Avenue also has a new spot to eat, drink and be merry. Toque is all Canadiana cool with beers from up-and-coming microbreweries, alongside the familiar brands we love. And what kind of Canadian bar would this be if it didn’t offer many Caesar options? (Trivia: the classic Caesar vodka and Clamato juice cocktail was created at Calgary’s Westin Hotel in 1969.) Drop by for a $10 Sunday roast or tourtière chili ($11) anytime.

Photo: Coyotes’ blue corn chicken enchilada, by Robyn Moore

Classic Favourites

The Bear Street Tavern’s ‘Ridiculously Good Pizza’ has been featured on The Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here. It has a thin and crispy crust, fresh tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella, but it’s the unique combinations of ingredients that elevate the pizzas to gourmet delight. Try The Big Bird with chicken, bacon, spinach, onions, goat cheese and pesto.

At Coyotes Southwestern Grill, everything is made from scratch. Their popular blue corn chicken enchilada is baked with a traditional Mexican mole sauce prepared from a long list of ingredients that includes roasted chiles. “In Mexico, people are known for their family mole sauce recipes,” co-owner Kathy Johnson says. That’ll warm you up this winter!

Photo: Courtesy of The Bison

Hearty Stews

Melissa’s ‘Mountain Stew’ with beef and fresh vegetables is simmered in wine gravy…mmm. Or try St. James’ Gate’s ‘Irish Lamb Stew’ with lamb and root vegetables braised in Irish broth. For an alternative option, The Bison offers ‘Carmen Creek Bison Short Ribs’—a skillet of ribs, winter vegetables and bacon.

Crazy Cocktails

Block Kitchen + Bar features a Burning Margarita with tequila, agave, lime and chili oil. The Balkan’sFrom East to West lauds the comeback of aged spirits with rye, rum, cognac, chocolate and orange bitters, maraschino liqueur and orange zest garnish.

Photo: Courtesy of Laggan’s

Healthy Take-Home Snack

The ‘Health Cookie’ at Laggan’s Bakery in Lake Louise is the perfect snack for the ski hill. It’s filled with nuts, dried fruits and seeds, and sweetened with honey. “People drive to Lake Louise just for the cookies,” says manager Lori MacKay. The treat is so popular that Laggan’s ships its Health Cookie Home Pack mix throughout Canada and the United States.

Among the menu items at Borealia are braised whelk and bison “pemmican” bresaola (photos: Nick Merzetti)

Nowadays there are many Toronto restaurants known for serving Canadian cuisine, but few do it with such specificity as Borealia. The cozy Ossington Avenue restaurant takes its cues from the historical recipes prepared by Canada’s native peoples and those who settled here—from England, France, China and elsewhere—during the country’s first great wave of immigration. The culinary aim, however, is less about preservation than it is reinvention: chef Wayne Morris uses modern techniques to interpret pre-Confederation fare for today’s discerning diners. The results are both reverent and novel in dishes such as éclade (mussels smoked in pine needles), pigeon pie and braised whelk (a giant sea snail). —Craig Moy

Step out of the cold and be whisked away to a warmer corner of the world at The Mexican Corner. Everything inside—copper furniture, handmade tile floor, Aztec and Mayan artwork—is imported from Mexico, taking you on a tasty tour south of the border. Sip inventive margaritas for all palates and try the gussied-up guacamole with pomegranate and truffle oil. It’s cheaper than a plane ticket.

Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but in Johann Strauss, Jr.’s Die Fledermaus, it’s also served with champagne. At a lavish soirée attended by Vienna’s high society, the dapper Dr. Falke repays his friend Eisenstein for abandoning him one night, drunk and dressed as a bat, or fledermaus. Staged by the Vancouver Opera, this effervescent comedy is punctuated by laughter, love, music, waltzing and plenty of bubbly. Don’t miss it, Mar. 5 to 8 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

In November 2014, I saw Lianne Moseley’s post on Facebook that she had turned herself into animated character Sterling Archer. The 2D makeup effects were uncanny, and in the weeks that followed she painted herself up as She-Hulk and Green Arrow. Impressed by Lianne’s work, I was inspired to create a comic book-themed photo shoot for Where Calgary‘s March/April 2015 issue in celebration of Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo’s 10th Anniversary, April 16-19, 2015.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click the thumbnails to see photos from the shoot and behind the scenes.

Lianne is a self-taught makeup artist, with no professional schooling or training. “I was always interested in regular beauty makeup,” Lianne says, “even if it was making mistakes with blue eyeshadow or goth eyeliner in junior high.” For the last seven years she’s worked various retail cosmetic jobs and has been doing freelance makeup for weddings for the past three years. “Doing bridal makeup is so rewarding. I love being able to add to someone’s special day, and I love working with customers,” Lianne says.

Her interest in face painting started in 2013 when she saw the work of Ronnie Mena, a professional face painter in Los Angeles, on Instagram (@rmena). “A lot of his work is what inspired me to start face painting in the first place. A lot of my first creations were re-creations of his work as a means of practice,” Moseley says.

Then Lianne started following the work of Argenis (@argenapeede) on Instagram: “he turned himself into a 2D comic book-like character. It wasn’t a specific character, but I was inspired by it. One day I was with a friend—Scott—and I was feeling creative, so I decided to try it out and I turned him into a 2D character. It worked really well, and minutes after posting it Argenis commented on my photo and said ‘Awe great job! Cute model tooo [sic]’. That was really motivating to have him like what I did.”

When Lianne shared Argenis’ feedback with Scott, “he got kind of cocky, saying no one could make a better looking character than he could” she recalls. “So I got competitive and told him ‘I bet I could be better looking than you!’ I knew I couldn’t make myself into a female character because that wouldn’t be an even comparison. I had just finished watching Archer and thought he was the perfect character to try painting—he’s so good looking. So I just played around with my makeup, trying different shading and blending techniques and it just sort of came together… I even painted on the suit and painted my hair black. I posted the photo to my Facebook page, and at that time most of my followers were just friends of mine. So my brother saw the photo and he posted it to Reddit. I kind of forgot about it, but a day later my brother messaged me to say it was getting a lot of positive attention on Reddit. This was exciting, but then I realized no one knew it was me! My name wasn’t on it, there was no link to my Facebook page—the post was called ‘Girl Turns Herself Into Archer,’ and I was just ‘Girl.'”

Lianne certainly doesn’t have that problem now, with publications around the world reporting on her work. Before she started posting her comic book-style makeup, Lianne had 256 fans on her Facebook page. Just two weeks after the first photo from our shoot went viral, her page had 3,930 fans—she gained 1,000 followers in one day after Ashton Kutcher shared her photo. “The experience has been amazing, overwhelming, and outrageous,” Lianne says. My favourite thing is all the love I’ve been getting from my city (Calgary)—locals have been showing me such enormous supportive and I’ve never been more proud to be from Calgary.”

Lianne attributes her skill and her ability to create the comic book looks without any practice to art classes she took in secondary school and as extra-curricular activities—”there’s a lot of overlap between what I learned in art classes and how I’m able to conceptualize the comic book styles now. Creating the 2D look is all about layering, shading, details, and highlights.” “The comic stuff has been pretty successful—so far I’ve done everything in one take with no practice before. I reference the actual comic book art, so I’ll go look at different pictures of the characters in old comics, new comics, and fan art, and I’ll mix all these different takes and create the character with makeup.” Lianne also says Kryolan Cosmetics are one of the reasons why her comic book makeup has turned out so well: “I’ve never used anything else. It’s an artist brand and it just blends and covers well. It doesn’t crack.” Lianne paints all of the details by hand without the use of an airbrush, and it takes her about one and a half hours to paint a half-face character, up to four hours to do a full face and half-body paint.

What’s next for Lianne? She’s going to continue with her comic book creations and eventually wants to hone her skills in special effects and in makeup teaching and training. “As long as I get to be a makeup artist and get to create and have fun and not be limited, that’s the dream.”

Keep an eye out for Lianne at the Calgary Expo—she’s planning to paint herself as Jean Grey.

This photo installation by Leslie Hossack simulates a walk along a stretch of the Berlin Wall. (Photo: Leslie Hossack, courtesy of the Diefenbunker)

The Diefenbunker’s 25 | Berlin commemorates the thousands of acts of civil courage that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall — and, in consequence, the end of the Cold War. It includes three exhibitions: one uses rare photographs, newspaper clippings, and political cartoons to delve into Europe’s 20th century conflicts; another is a mural painted by Canadian and German graffiti artists; and the last is a photo installation that simulates a walk along a stretch of the Berlin Wall. On at the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum until March 31, •Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum, 3929 Carp Rd., Carp, 613-839-0007. diefenbunker.ca •Map and reviews

THERE ARE ALWAYS SO MANY THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO. GET OUT AND ENJOY SOME OF THE MANY GREAT PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN MARCH!

Japan’s Kodo Drummers beat out a rhythm this month at the Sony Centre

MARCH 8 TO 10 Over the course of 10 frigid days, four experienced climbers navigated a new frontier: a 2,000-foot spire called Bertha’s Tower in Antarctica’s Wohlthat Mountains range. Explorer Mike Libecki and photographer Cory Richards were among the adventurous quartet. Now back from the pole, Libecki and Richards talk about their uncharted summit in the latest installment of the National Geographic Live series, Untamed Antarctica. Roy Thomson Hall, Sunday 2 p.m., Monday and Tuesday 8 p.m., $19.50 to $79.50; call 416-872-4255 or visit roythomsonhall.com to charge.

MARCH 12 Japan’s famed percussion troupe, the Kodo Drummers, returns with an all new experience. It’s latest show, Mystery, brings together 15 artists in a pounding performance that ranges from pulsating rhythmic beats to more measured taps—particularly fitting as “kodo” in Japanese can mean both “heartbeat” and “children of the drum.” Japanese folk art and rituals are explored in this tale about sacred creatures and gods from another world. Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m., $55 to $95; call 1-855-872-7669 or see kodo.or.jp for details.

MARCH 13 TO 20 Spring is definitely in the air when Canada Blooms and the National Home Show both return to inspire all manner of renovation and beautification at North America’s largest home and garden event. The former features 20 professionally landscaped gardens plus three stages with such experts as Frank Ferragine and Mark Cullen. The latter has the likes of Colin and Justin offering up top tips and trends in home design and repair. Direct Energy Centre, general admission $17 or $29 for a two-day pass; visit canadablooms.com or nationalhomeshow.com for times and more information.

MARCH 14 TO 22 It’s March Break!Click here for a roundup of great, family-friendly things do in Toronto during your children’s week off from school.

MARCH 18 TO 29 Long before Kim’s Convenience was a national hit, actor and playwright Ins Choi had a random encounter with a homeless man that left an indelible mark, inspiring poems, songs and monologues. Though Choi has performed the pieces individually over the years, he now brings them together in Subway Stations of the Cross. Presented in a non-narrative spoken-word style, Choi’s solo show channels a transient man with a prophecy from God. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, various times, $30; call 416-866-8666 or visit soulpepper.ca for showtimes and to reserve.

Alton Brown brings culinary alchemy to Toronto (photo: David Allen)

MARCH 25 TO 29 Twice a year, the One of a Kind Show brings to Toronto hundreds of artisans bearing an impressive selection of handmade wares including jewellery, fashion, textiles, art, housewares and gourmet goods. Meet and chat with the makers to learn about their inspirations and processes, and catch fashion shows and talks from style experts on the main stage. And, of course, shop for the likes of gold leaf plates (pictured) by Melissa DiRenzo of The Sweet Escape, modern rings made of compressed and vitrified trash by Cinderella Garbage, and soap from Botania (pictured, top). Direct Energy Centre, 100 Princes Blvd., Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission $14; see oneofakindshow.com for more information.

MARCH 27Recipe for a food-themed variety show: blend equal parts knowledge and comedy, sprinkle with a song or two, and fold in some audience participation. Finish with the most important ingredient, an affable host. The result is Alton Brown Live! The Edible Inevitable Tour, an engaging and interactive look at what we eat, how we cook, and the tools we use for preparing food. The host of Good Eats, Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen, Brown sings about airport shrimp cocktails, makes ice cream using a fire extinguisher, and bakes a pizza in a 12-foot-long “oven” made with 54 stage light bulbs. Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m., $40.50 to $72.25; call 1-855-872-7669 or visit altonbrowntour.com for further details.

ALL MONTH LONG You’ve heard of pop-up stores, but how about pop-up dinner theatre? That’s exactly what Faulty Towers the Dining Experience is: a three-course meal set in the fictitious Faulty Towers hotel. A beleaguered hotel manager named Basil, his overbearing wife Sybil, a bumbling waiter called Manuel, and the good-natured Polly take part in this comedic meal that’s been a global hit since it debuted in Australia in 1997. Only part of the feast is scripted, meaning that the Toronto premiere of this show relies significantly on the imaginations and improvisation skills of four performers, ensuring that no two banquets will be the same. Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 7 p.m., Wednesday 1 and 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 1 and 7 p.m., $110.69; visit ticketmaster.ca or call 1-855-872-7669 to buy.

AND THERE’S MORE!

Meghan Trainor

MARCH 1 The Royal Conservatory’s Koerner Hall rolls out the grand piano for acclaimed Canadian ivory tickler Marc-André Hamelin.

MARCH 2 The world’s most famous person (fictitiously) named Rhoda, Valerie Harper—known for her role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and, well, Rhoda—talks about her career and battle with cancer at Roy Thomson Hall.

MARCH 2 Fresh off the release of their first album in a decade, female power trio Sleater-Kinneyplays the Sound Academy.

MARCH 2 Fresh off being upstaged by Annie Lennox (and really, who wouldn’t be?) at the Grammys, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier takes the stage at Massey Hall.

MARCH 3 & 4 Annie Clark, the esoteric indie rocker, guitar hero and David Byrne collaborator known as St. Vincent is at the Danforth Music Hall for two performances.

MARCH 3 TO APRIL 12 Daniel MacIvor’s Cake and Dirt, about the aftermath of a posh birthday party, has its world premiere at Tarragon Theatre.

MARCH 6 The Sony Centre hosts YouTube-famous musicians The Piano Guys, who perform classically inspired versions of popular songs.

MARCH 6 It’s all about that bass as singer Meghan Trainor sets up at the Phoenix Concert Theatre.

MARCH 7 Expect a modern interpretation of the classic New Orleans jazz sound when pianist Jon Batiste and his band, Stay Human, takes the stage at Koerner Hall.

MARCH 7 Soulpepper Theatre’s Spoon River breathes life into small-town living through poetry and song.

MARCH 16 The Air Canada Centre hosts America’s preferred pop-rock band, Maroon 5, supported by their Canadian heirs apparent, Magic.

MARCH 18 The fourth performance in Soulpepper’s concert series, Route 66—The Heartland, features stories and song by the likes of Woody Guthrie, Jack Kerouac and others that seek to illuminate the soul of middle America.

MARCH 18 TO 29 Also courtesy of Soulpepper Theatre, “master actor” Kenneth Welsh offers a full-throated solo reading of The Gospel According to Mark (yes, the biblical gospel).

MARCH 19 TO APRIL 5 The choice between isolation and community is made stark in Yvette Nolan’s post-apocalyptic play The Unplugging, on stage at Factory Theatre.

MARCH 26 TO MAY 3 Playwright Hannah Moscovitch’s latest work, Infinity, ponders how a new theory of time might change our lives at Tarragon Theatre.

MARCH 26 Venerable multi-intrumentalist Harry Manx does his thing at the Winter Garden Theatre.

MARCH 27 Arcade Fire member Will Butler brings his own tunes—collected on his recent solo album, Policy—to the Horseshoe Tavern.

MARCH 27 Get down to the Afro-Cuban-electro beatmaking of Ibeyi at the Mod Club.

Chloë Angus, hard at work in her gorgeous new studio and showroom on East 6th Avenue. (Photo: KK Law)

The best way to fuel creativity is to grow up without a television, a phone or even electricity. At least, that’s how it worked for Chloë Angus. What the local fashion designer did have as a child was a small Singer sewing machine—and encouragement from her mother. “There were five kids in my family,” Angus says. “I think my mom was just happy to keep us busy doing different things.” Angus sewed clothes for herself and her dolls, along with “anything I could talk my brothers into wearing on Halloween.”

The family ran an organic seafood farm on the Sunshine Coast, 13.5 km (8.5 mi) by boat from the nearest small town, Egmont. When Angus was 12, she got a summer job working in Egmont’s one consignment store, but she made more money selling t-shirts she’d designed than from her wage. “I would catch live fish and paint them with some fabric paint, and I would press them into the shirt. And I signed on it that it was from Egmont, BC.”

After graduating high school, the bright lights of the big city drew Angus to Vancouver. “I spent most of my childhood scheming how I was going to get out of the small town and into the city. It’s funny, because now I spend most of my adult life scheming how I’m going to get back,” she says. After travelling around and exploring the world a bit, she—almost on a whim—started up a landscaping company and built it into a successful business. “Landscaping is about colour and balance and fitting into somebody else’s ideas with your own aesthetic. And a lot of hard work.”

As her 30th birthday loomed ever closer on the horizon, Angus did some soul searching and decided it was time to revisit her first love, fashion. She signed up for a one-year program at the prestigious Helen Lefeaux School of Fashion Design. Angus credits her farming background with giving her the work ethic (not to mention the stamina) to juggle a demanding school program, a thriving landscaping business, and a new marriage.

As a newly minted fashion graduate, Angus caught the attention of a buyer for The Bay, Canada’s most venerated retail institution. She designed several collections for The Bay’s Canadian by Design department. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sketch for a spring design. (Photo: KK Law)

Over the past 11 years, Angus has gone from toiling away on her designs in her basement, to a small office downtown, to a larger studio on Dunbar Street, to her current 280-sq-m (3,000-sq-ft) studio on 6th Avenue. She designs everything from t-shirts to fancy wedding dresses (just two or three each summer, for a few lucky brides), and an extraordinary amount of time and care go into each one: “We spend weeks on fitting a simple t-shirt—a t-shirt that looks as good on an extra-small as it does on a triple-extra-large.” Best known are her Spirit Wraps, the result of a creative collaboration with local First Nations artists such as Clarence Mills (Haida) and Corrine Hunt (Tlingit). Angus is also the fashion sponsor for the Leo Awards (BC’s version of the Academy Awards) here in Vancouver, and she loves dressing the trophy models and some of the actresses: “It gives me the opportunity to be over-the-top creative in any way that I want to be.” When actresses sometimes hesitate at the fancier gowns, “I always tell them it never hurts to be the best dressed lady at the party.” Recently, Angus had her first chance to design all of the costumes for a movie, a shot-in-Vancouver short comedy called I Wanna Date U.

Even as Chloë Angus Design grows and evolves, one thing that will never change is Angus’s commitment to staying in Vancouver. She finds design inspiration in the city’s natural beauty, and she loves the climate here compared to the rest of the country: “It might be raining really hard out today, but it’s not snowing,” she says. “I am a true Vancouverite. I own a nice collection of gumboots. I like umbrellas. I have a really fabulous raincoat coming out for fall 2015. I don’t like parkas. I think the rest of Canada is pretty much uninhabitable most of the year.”

The other place Angus finds inspiration? Beautiful fabrics. “Often I see a piece of fabric and it just talks to me. It says, ‘Make me into this.’ And I know right away what I will do with it.”

With any luck, Angus will continue finding inspiration for many decades to come.

THE ANNUAL SCHOOL BREAK MEANS THERE ARE MANY CHILD- AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO!

March Break brings many families to Toronto. More specifically, it brings parents who are looking for ways to keep their kids entertained. Whether your charges are tiny tots, school-age kids or tweens and teens, there are myriad ways to keep everyone happy this month.

Frozen, the world’s highest-grossing animated film, is now, fittingly, a rinkside spectacle, as Disney on Ice presents its new song-and-skate show from March 18 to 22. Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven the reindeer—with special appearances by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, along with friends from The Lion King, Finding Nemo and a host of Disney princesses—offer sing-along fun with tunes like “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” “For the First Time Ever,” and, of course, “Let It Go.”

Young People’s Theatre is well respected for presenting both classic and contemporary plays for children; its current season includes an imaginative rendition of Pinocchio from March 3 to 21. Puppetry, music, dance and illusion combine to tell the tale of a wooden doll whose dream of becoming a real boy is riddled with rebellion and shady characters, not to mention a nose that grows each time he tells a lie. An even bigger stage offers children a perfect introduction to dance as the National Ballet of Canada performs Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from March 14 to 29. Choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon—and featuring wildly colourful sets and costumes—the modern interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic brings to enchanting life a young girl’s encounters with the Queen of Hearts, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat and more.

Gaming enthusiasts are treated to a double dose of stimulation with Video Games Live on March 7, and The Legend of Zelda on March 20. The former is an orchestral tour de force with recognizable scores from the likes of Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Warcraft, Final Fantasy and Halo, while the latter mixes images and music spanning the titular gaming franchise’s many titles, including The Wind Waker, A Link to the Past and Twilight Princess, as well as the latest edition, A Link Between Worlds.

Science-fiction fans are also well served. From March 20 to 22, Toronto Comicon brings to town the likes of Scott Wilson of The Walking Dead and Karen Gillan from Guardians of the Galaxy, while on March 21, Trekkies can beam themselves to the Sony Centre for Star Trek with Live Orchestra featuring the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. —Linda Luong

What could be more picturesque than seeing a bighorn sheep with impressive horns against a snowy mountain backdrop? Wildlife add such character to the landscape of the Canadian Rockies. Perhaps you’ll be fortunate enough to spot some this winter!

The Bow Valley Parkway in Banff National Park is a slower, more scenic alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway between Banff and Lake Louise. Drive this route and you may be rewarded with more than mountain views. Aptly named Moose Meadows is an ideal habitat for these large mammals. Elk are more commonly spotted—watch for them east of Johnston Canyon. If you’re lucky, you might see wolves. Please don’t feed or get close to animals.

Wildlife is abundant in Jasper National Park. Watch at a safe distance on your own or with a guide for a more productive and informative experience. On SunDog Tours’ Wildlife Discovery Tour, “Knowledgeable guides are trained to seek out the park’s most iconic creatures,” says Laura Park of the company.